Free For All

An Ogre Miniatures scenario

This is an all-day Ogre Miniatures scenario for two teams and many players. Each side is controlled by a General. The two Generals are expected to serve all day, and are assistant referees, even though they are in competition with each other – for that reason, they have to be carefully selected.

Each player is in competition with every other player, including those on his own side.

Each player should have a name tag, color-coded to show what side he is on, with a ribbon to indicate rank. Each player is also given a record sheet, with the standard scenario information on one side, and specific information about his own units on the other side. (Text for these record sheets will be found below.)

Setup

Each player starts with a standard point value – at least 36 points worth of units – selected as he wishes, within certain limits. For instance, a player who picks "Fast Armor" can select from Superheavies, Heavies and Light Tanks, but no other type of unit. Information sheets are given below for Fast Armor, Missile Tanks, GEVs, and Infantry/Howitzer Teams. The GMs may create other logical unit combinations for specific roles.

Players in a defending role may be allowed larger forces, since they will be moving less and (often) shooting less.

In general, players cannot select missile crawlers or Ogres. It is interesting to have a few Ogres on a side, but these should be controlled by the generals, or by very experienced players who are not in competition with the other players. Remember that even a small Ogre could walk through an ordinary player's 36-point force and wipe it out.

Scoring

Base score for a player is HIS OWN KILLS minus HIS OWN LOSSES. If units combine fire and score a kill, the owners split the value of the kill in proportion to the attack strength each contributes. If player A disables a unit and B kills it, the value of the kill is split evenly.

If some players start with different point values at the beginning of the game, then the kills-minus-losses rule must be turned into a ratio instead.

Players' scores are adjusted as follows:

+2 points for being on the winning side at the end of the game. (I've been known to tell people at the beginning of the game that the losers would get NO prizes; winning is everything. That's only good for adults who can play seriously without getting angry.)

Up to +10 points, awarded by the General. However, the General has a limited pool of bonus points to give out, which may not exceed 3 points times the total number of players on his side during the game. The General does not have to give any bonus points at all if he doesn't want to; uncooperative or stupid captains shouldn't get any. Bonus points can reward an effective player, but they can also be used to "repay" a captain who loses units while following orders as part of a grander tactical scheme.

It might be interesting to have some way for a general to reward an especially good captain with extra units, or even a promotion.

Prizes

At the end of the game, it's prize time. The two Generals split a prize pool according to which side scored the most kills. (Say, $100 in loot, divided proportionately between the two.)

Players also get prizes – a possible scheme is:

First through fourth place – on scores as defined above.

Red Baron Awards – each general gives one to a single ENEMY player, as "the one who most impressed me while I was trying to kill him."

Croix de Guerre – each general gives one to his "most valuable player."

Thus, even if one team is totally demolished, two of its members will get prizes.

Scenarios

The easiest basic game setup is a huge meeting engagement – a meat-grinder into which both sides can feed lots of forces. It might be interesting to set it up as a "ceasefire collapse," scenario so at the beginning of the game there could be HWZ and even laser towers on both sides, controlled by the general or an assistant. These would not be replaced during the game.

However, it is also interesting to run a scenario where one side is defending an urban area and the other side – with a larger force – is attacking. The defender gets a lot of infantry and HWZs, and some mobile units for reinforcement. The attacker gets nothing with longer range than a missile tank.

A board size of about 6 feet (at the most) by 8 feet is good. It may be longer than 8 feet, to allow more players, but should not be much wider . . . otherwise it takes too long for units to make it from the edge into action.

There are buildings, and possibly other objectives, on each side. These have stickers on the bottom to show their defense strength or SP value, and their value in victory points. Each general knows this information about his own buildings, but not about the enemy's.

There should probably be about 6 players on each side at any given time. But people can sign up in advance, get on a waiting list, and so on. People can also get back in and try again – maybe charge a fee for the second time?

Problems to look out for:

Subcommanders who know the rules but are tactically clueless.

Lengthy setups (get the board set up BEFORE the announced starting time).

People who run off to play Magic in the middle of the game (the general just takes over their force, and they are not eligible for prizes).

We want people to retire from the field once they've been mauled, rather than fighting to the bitter end for no reason. Subtracting losses from kills is intended to encourage this.

The following pages are record (and information) sheets for the different types of starting setup.

Ogre Miniatures – Infantry/Howitzer Teams

Turn Sequence:

Combine units move.

Combine units fire.

Combine GEVs take second move.

Paneuropean units move.

Paneuropean units fire.

Paneuropean GEVs take second move.

Using Infantry/Howitzer Teams

This is primarily a defensive force. The howitzers are positioned to stop an enemy attack. The infantry, in turn, defend the howitzers.

Try to place the infantry where they can get some protection from woods or other terrain . . . city areas are the best, as they triple defense! Use the infantry as a screen to keep attackers from swarming over the howitzers. Make the attackers choose between stopping to shoot at the infantry, or overrunning them and taking heavy losses (infantry are deadly in an overrun attack, especially in defense).

Keep the screen far enough from the howitzers that attackers can't easily reach them – but close enough that the howitzers can use their long-range fire to destroy the attackers.

Sometimes it's good to have the infantry counter-attack, overrunning the attacking units.

The GEV-PCs are useful for getting the slow-moving infantry where it's needed. In an emergency, they can go into battle with the infantry still on board – the infantry can shoot from the GEV-PC. However, this creates a big, vulnerable target! It's usually better to drop the infantry near the battle lines and send the GEV-PC back for more.

Ogre Miniatures – Ground Effect Vehicles

Turn Sequence:

Combine units move.

Combine units fire.

Combine GEVs take second move.

Paneuropean units move.

Paneuropean units fire.

Paneuropean GEVs take second move.

Using Ground Effect Vehicles

These units are valuable both as attackers and defenders, but their strength lies in speed. In a defensive role, they depend on a hit-and-run counterattack. As attackers, they have to cut quickly to their objective and withdraw. Their defense strength is low; under sustained fire, they melt like butter. This is especially true of the LGEVs!

As fast as they are, they get faster when moving on water or roads. The clearer the terrain, the better; avoid forest and swamp, which not only slows them but can actually disable a GEV.

Some GEV teams will include infantry on GEV-PCs – that's one of the best ways to get the slow-moving infantry where it's needed. In an emergency, they can go into battle with the infantry still on board – the infantry can shoot from the GEV-PC. However, this creates a big, vulnerable target! It's usually better to drop the infantry near the battle lines and send the GEV-PC back for more.

GEV (Ground Effect Vehicle) Cost: 6 points
Attack strength 2.
Defense 2. Defense is doubled in cities.
Woods and swamps are dangerous – avoid them.
Attack range is 4 inches.
Movement is 8 inches in the first movement phase, plus 6 in the
second movement phase. On roads or water, the first phase
is 10 inches and the second phase is 8 inches.
LGEV (Light Ground Effect Vehicle) Cost: 3 points
Attack strength 1.
Defense 1. Defense is doubled in cities.
Woods and swamps are dangerous – avoid them.
Attack range is 4 inches.
Movement is the same as for a GEV.
GEV-PC (Ground Effect Vehicle Personnel Carrier) Cost: 6 points
Attack strength 1.
Defense 2. Defense is doubled in cities.
Woods and swamps are dangerous – avoid them.
Attack range is 4 inches.
Movement is 6 inches in the first movement phase, plus 4 in the
second movement phase. On roads or water, the first phase
is 8 inches and the second phase is 6 inches.
Can carry up to 3 infantry.
Infantry Units Cost: 2 points per trooper
Attack strength 1 per trooper
Defense strength 1 per trooper, up to maximum of 3.
Defense is doubled in woods, tripled in cities.
Attack range is 2 inches.
Movement is 4 inches, or 6 inches on a road.

Ogre Miniatures – Fast Armor

Turn Sequence:

Combine units move

Combine units fire

Combine GEVs take second move

Paneuropean units move

Paneuropean units fire

Paneuropean GEVs take second move.

Using Fast Armor

These units are fast-moving (though not as fast as GEVs), heavily armored, and have a good attack strength. Even the Light Tank has the same attack and defense as a GEV, and at half the GEV's cost!

These units are faster on roads, and can ignore streams and forest (except for the Light Tank, which is too small to crush its way through terrain without slowing). Even better, forest favors them because it slows the GEVs!

The Superheavy is best in an attacking role. Keep it moving, and keep it smashing enemies – its 6" attack range, with two guns, makes it deadly. Although it has a very good defense, the enemy will target it first . . . it draws fire because it is so dangerous. Since it is unaffected by forests or streams, it can attack through terrain that is effectively impassable to GEVs.

The Heavy is good in both attack and defense. On the attack, keep it moving. On the defense, take advantage of terrain. It is unaffected by forest and streams.

The Light Tank can be used in a swarm attack, because it's cheap . . . but it's also good to dig in, or place behind a hill, for a strong defense.

Ogre Miniatures – Missile Tanks

Turn Sequence:

Combine units move.

Combine units fire.

Combine GEVs take second move.

Paneuropean units move.

Paneuropean units fire.

Paneuropean GEVs take second move.

Using Missile Tanks

The standard Missile Tank is slow and thin-skinned, but packs a good punch with a long range. They're best as defending units, or as a second wave of attackers to exploit a breakthrough made by heavier armor. In an attacking role, they're the best standard units for rooting out infantry from rough terrain, because they can stand back and destroy ordinary infantry while remaining out of range of any counterattack. The combined move and attack of the infantry is only 6 inches, while the missile tank can fire from 8" away.

Keep them on the road if possible. In a defensive situation, missile tanks on the road can sometimes retreat while still firing at the foe.

These units are sometimes teamed with Mobile Howitzers, which are even slower but have a longer range. They are also used with Heavy Tanks, where the Heavy's mission is to keep enemy fire away from the vulnerable Missile Tanks.

Ogre Miniatures: Free For All
A demonstration sponsored by Steve Jackson Games

This is a demonstration game. Anybody can play. We can add new people at (almost) any time, and when you have to leave, someone can take over your units.

The rules are simple. If you don't know them, we'll teach them as you go along. A feel for tactics, or the ability to outguess the other guy, is more important than any kind of rules-lawyering.

The basic scenario: It's the middle of a war, sometime in Europe in the next century. A ceasefire has just broken down, and both sides are pouring units into the area, trying to knock out targets on the enemy side of the ceasefire line.

Players score points for destroying enemy units, and lose points when their own units are eliminated.

Most players will control small groups of tanks, infantry and hovercraft. However, there may be a few Ogres – huge multi-gun robot tanks – on each side.